Introduction: the Political Economy of Subregionalism and World Order

Abstract

The purpose of this book is to fill a lacuna in the empirical literature and to contribute to the theoretical debate on regionalism by bringing together in one volume analyses of the various forms that subregionalism is taking in the emerging world order. It seeks to explain the origins, developments and essential features of the subregionalist projects promoted by a number of the weaker states in Europe and Africa, in the Americas, and in East Asia. As most theoretical work on the ‘new’ regionalism of the late 1980s and post-Cold War era draws on the regionalist projects promoted by the big powers, with empirical work on the European Union (EU) and to a lesser extent the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) at the heart of these endeavours, our analyses of subregionalist projects promoted by the weak also should contribute to deepening our theoretical understanding of the trend towards regionalism in the contemporary world. Thus, the reader hopefully will find Subregionalism and World Order provides both theoretical and empirical insights on subregionalism in the nascent world order.